Yes, the Rich Are Still Quite Different

Lately, the rich have been boring—or at least that’s how it would appear to anyone skimming through the popular media. Recent headlines about self-righteous hedge funders publically excoriating Obama, or—even more topical—wealthy politicos failing to accurately recite the minimum wage represent the best coverage of the upper crust that reporters have been able to offer.

Interestingly, what seems to be happening is that the very richest Americans are concealing their extravagances for fear of inciting fanatical resentment among the general population.Ever since the economy collapsed and the government bailed out Wall Street, flagrant exhibitionism has been steadily losing its outward appeal. The wealthy no longer flaunt their out-sized fortunes and elevated social status with pride. Instead, they put on middle class airs and disingenuously espouse mainstream values, hoping to avoid the populist fury that has been spreading throughout the nation.

Just to set the record straight, I’ve assembled a short list of recent incidents where fabulously wealthy individuals have accidentally let slip a true penchant for luxury. Here are three prime illustrations of conspicuous consumption from my recent, personal experience:

Not long ago, an acquaintance of mine called me up to discuss an orchestra he hoped to hire for a private event. His intentions seemed perfectly reasonable, until I realized that he was planning to have the collection of celebrated classical musicians play for guests while shrouded from view by a large dark screen. It was his way, he noted, of underscoring differences in social position. Professional entertainers were of one class, and men and women of leisure were of another. Needless to say, I cautioned against further pursuing this Victorian arrangement.

Someone else I know had the haughty idea this summer to travel with his personal housekeeping staff. Visiting hotels, restaurants, country clubs, and even other people’s homes during the overcrowded holiday months was too great an inconvenience, because the service wasn’t up to par—so he tried to take a page from the playbook of royals and over-gild the lily. It was an ambitious maneuver, but one that ultimately backfired because the destinations on his itinerary couldn’t accommodate his cumbersome retinue.

Another individual I know simply wanted to break a record for hiring as many valets as humanly possible. I don’t know what purpose it would have achieved, other than theatrical spectacle, but I suppose there was a genuine desire to attain new heights—to amass an entourage larger than that of anyone in the United States. An entourage, it was suggested, that would thoroughly outdo even that on HBO’s show, Entourage.